These soft and chewy vanilla sugar cookies are yummy, thick and full of rich vanilla flavor. Made with vanilla bean paste and a mix of egg yolks and whites for a soft, chewy center, they come together in one bowl and go straight into the oven without chilling. From mixing to your first warm cookie, you’re just 30 minutes away from a house that smells like vanilla and a batch of cookies that taste like vanilla ice cream in cookie form.
Why I Created This Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
I wanted to create a soft, chewy sugar cookie that’s easy to make and full of real vanilla flavor. Most of the cookies on my site are either cut-outs like my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies, or buttery shortbread cookie recipes, so this was a fun change.
This recipe skips the chilling step and goes straight from mixing bowl to oven. It’s simple enough for a weeknight bake but special enough to share.
I used double-fold vanilla bean paste for a strong, lasting vanilla flavor. It gives the cookies those pretty vanilla flecks and a scent that fills the kitchen.
To get the right texture, I tested different egg combinations. I ended up using one whole egg plus an extra yolk. It adds richness and gives the cookies that soft, chewy center that reminds me of good vanilla bean ice cream.
What Makes These Chewy Vanilla Sugar Cookies Special
This recipe may look simple, but there are a few thoughtful choices that make these cookies stand out from others:
- No chilling required. The dough is ready to bake as soon as it's mixed. From start to finish, your first batch of cookies is coming out of the oven in 30 minutes.
- Double-fold vanilla bean paste. More intense than extract, this gives the cookies a strong, lingering vanilla flavor and beautiful specks throughout. I used the vanilla paste from Wild Montana Foods, but next favorite is the vanilla bean paste from Nielsen Massey.
- A mix of egg yolks and whites. Using one whole egg plus an extra yolk adds richness and helps create that perfect chewy center and soft thick texture. The two egg yolks also produced a flavor that reminded of vanilla ice cream.
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Ingredients
This recipe is simple and requires just a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
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Step 1: Cream together the sugar, butter and vanilla bean paste.
Step 2: Beat in the egg yolks and egg white.
Step 3: Add all the flour and mix on low speed until incorporated.
Step 4: The dough will be stiff but still scoopable.
Step 5: Shape the dough into balls and roll in sugar.
Step 6: Bake the cookies until they are puffed up and the edges are lightly golden brown.
Tips for Soft, Chewy Sugar Cookies Every Time
These cookies are straightforward, but a few small steps can make a big difference in the texture and flavor:
- Weigh your ingredients. For the best results weigh your ingredients, especially the flour. Too little flour and the cookie will spread too much, too little and the cookies will be a little dry. Also because I've notice a variance in the weight of egg yolks I also weighed the egg yolks and egg white seperately to ensure I got 40 grams of egg yolks. As it turns out, I often had to add a partial 3rd egg yolk to get to 40 grams.
- Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy, which takes about 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer. It helps with structure and even baking. It's also important to thoroughly mix in the egg white. Since the egg white is mostly water, when you add it to the creamed butter and sugar you need to mix long enough to make sure the two are emulsify. It's like trying to emulsifty water and oil.
- Use a cookie scoop. To get cookies are uniform in size, use a cookie scoop and if want to be really precise weigh each ball of dough. The dough balls weight 42 grams which is equivalent to 1-1/2 tablespoons.
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Soft and Chewy Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups (313 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- 1-1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 large (40 grams) egg yolks cold
- 1 large (30 grams) egg white cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 half-sized baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.
- Reserve 1/4 cup (50 grams) of the granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls. Place the remaining sugar (1-1/4 cups/250 grams), butter, and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy, well combined, and lighter in color. After the first minute, stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle attachment and the sides of the bowl. Mix for another minute. Scrape down the paddle attachment and the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg yolks and egg white and mix on medium speed until the eggs are well incorporated. You need to mix for a while because the egg white is mostly water and you're trying to get the water in the egg white to emulsify with the fat of the butter. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add all the flour mixture at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until the flour is incorporated and the dough forms into one large clump.
Bake the Cookies
- Place 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl. Divide the dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon portions, about 42 grams each. Roll each piece in your hands into a ball and roll each ball in the sugar. Place 6 cookies on each baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are slightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. As the cookies cool, they will deflate. Move the cookies to a wire rack to completely cool.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. If you only have one cookie sheet, let it cool completely before baking the next batch of cookies.
- At this point the cookies are ready to eat.
Storing the Cookies
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. The cookies are best if eaten within the first few days.
How to Freeze Unbaked Cookie Dough
- Portion and roll the cookie dough per the recipe directions, but do not roll in the sugar.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze the cookies for at least 8 hours. Place the cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bag before sealing it tightly. Lay the bag flat in the freezer.
- Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake the cookies directly from the freezer. Add 2-3 minutes to the baking time to account for the dough being frozen.
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